Contents
In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
It would seem that human anatomy no longer holds any secrets. And yet. Scientists from the Netherlands have identified a previously unknown organ in our heads. It happened by accident, when examining patients with prostate cancer. The discovery could lead to advances in cancer treatment. They are reported in the journal Radiotherapy and Oncology.
- During tomography of patients with prostate cancer, doctors noticed that two areas in the patient’s head suddenly lit up. It was a potentially completely new organ
- It turned out to be a group of salivary glands (salivary glands) located at the back of the nasopharynx
- Scientists suspect that these glands may be the cause of complications in patients undergoing radiation therapy. Radiation can damage them, leading to problems with eating, swallowing, and speaking
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Discovery of tubular glands
How did it happen that with the high level of medicine we have today, the mysterious organ was still unnoticed? Scientists suggest that the structures are located in a hard-to-reach place under the base of the skull, making them difficult to locate endoscopically. Fortunately, by accident, doctors from the Netherlands Cancer Institute discovered it.
This happened when examining patients with prostate cancer. The sick were subjected to the so-called positron emission tomography – PSMA PET / CT. This is an advanced research in nuclear medicine for imaging prostate cancer. It is very precise, thanks to which it is possible to accurately diagnose the tumor.
Positron emission tomography involves image registration based on internal radiation. It comes from various chemical compounds labeled with radioactive isotopes (so-called radiopharmaceuticals), which are prepared for each examination according to indications and the area of imaging. Thanks to these compounds, neoplastic changes shine brightly during scanning, which makes them well visible.
- Five body parts that a person does not really need
“Imagine our surprise when we found it”
This time, however, PSMA PET / CT had an unexpected effect. During the examination, a team of doctors noticed that two areas in the head suddenly lit up. The situation repeated in other patients. A total of 100 patients were subjected to tomography, all of them revealed the above-mentioned points during the scan. It couldn’t be an anomaly, it was potentially a whole new organ.
It turned out to be a group of salivary glands (salivary glands) located at the back of the nasopharynx (the top of the throat or the nasopharynx). “People have three pairs of large salivary glands, but they are not in this place,” the study author and oncologist Wouter Vogel said in a statement. “So imagine our surprise when we found it,” he added.
Źródło: https://www.thegreenjournal.com/article/S0167-8140(20)30809-4/fulltext
As a reminder, the salivary glands are glands that produce the saliva necessary for the functioning of our digestive system. Most of the fluid is produced by the three main salivary glands: the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. There are also about a thousand smaller glands spread all over the mouth and digestive tract, but they are usually too small to be seen without a microscope.
As sciencealert.com explains, the organ is the fourth pair of major salivary glands, located behind the nose and above the palate, near the center of the human head.
The discovery of the tubular glands will improve the quality of life of patients
The discovery was later confirmed by examining the body. The “new” human organ is called “tubular glands”, referring to their anatomical location. Scientists suspect that these glands may be the cause of complications in patients undergoing radiation therapy. Radiation can damage them, leading to problems with eating, swallowing, and speaking.
- Salivary gland stones – what is this disease?
Better understanding of the tubular glands can spare patients from potential complications.
Dutch doctors looked at 723 patients who had undergone radiation therapy in the area where the newly discovered salivary glands are located. It turned out that the more radiation the area with tubular glands was exposed to, the more complications the patients experienced. Paradoxically, this is good news – for the future.
“For most patients, it should be technically possible to avoid irradiation of the newfound patient,” emphasizes Wouter Vogel. – The next step will be to find out how we can protect these glands and in which patients. This will save patients from side effects and improve their quality of life after treatment, the researcher added.
To confirm your assumptions, additional research will be needed on a larger and more diverse group.
You may be interested in:
- Can I get flu and COVID-19 at the same time? Unfortunately yes
- The coronavirus epidemic is accelerating not only in Poland. What is happening with our neighbors?
- Thymus (myasthenia gravis) – what is it and what are its functions?
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.